Clothesline fastener



P 29, 1942- E. L. JOHANNSEN CLOTHESLINE FASTENER Filed Aug. 50, 1941 INVENTOR. @QMAQW,

- /M ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE FASTENER Emil L. Johannsen, Dubuque, Iowa Application August so, 1941, Serial No. 409,012

2 Claims.

This invention relates to clothesline fasteners and has for its object to provide a device by means of which a clothesline may be securely fastened to a post, the side of a building, or any other suitable support.

A further object is to provide a fastener of the type mentioned which can be manufactured at a low cost, and which shall be so constructed as to permit a clothesline to be quickly attached thereto and held against accidental loosening, as when it is in motion because of windy weather.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l is a front elevation of the invention attached to a support,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the invention,

Fig. 4 illustrates a sheet metal blank from which the invention is formed,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is preferably formed from a sheet metal blank such as is illustrated in Fig. 4 and designated with the numeral IS. The fastener includes a flat central or base portion II perforated at I2 to receive screws I3 by means of which it is attached to a suitable support which, in the present instance, is represented as being a post I4. As shown in Fig. 4, that portion of the blank between the dotted lines A and B serves as the base II. At one side of this base, the blank is tapered transversely to a slight degree and is bent on the line B to provide a downwardly and outwardly inclined tongue I5. The portion of the blank I I) at the opposite side of the base portion II is cut away on its longitudinal axis to provide spaced parallel straps I6 which are coiled so as to form upwardly extending spaced U-shaped loops I'I. By referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the loops I! are so formed that when the device is in position for use the free ends of the loops will be spaced from the post I4 a distance slightly less than the diameter of the clothesline I8.

The clothesline is attached to the fastener in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 1; that is to say, a bight portion thereof is placed between the support I4 and the tongue I5 after which the portions of the line at opposite sides of the bight are passed upwardly between the loops H, are then spread apart, and are drawn down between the free ends of the loops and the support so as to rest within said loops. The line is then taken to one or more other fasteners, as may be necessary, to which it is attached in the same manner. When the wedging, of the line between the tongue I5 and the support I4 is such as will hold said line against slipping, and such weight as may be applied to it by clothing suspended therefrom will increase the wedging action and thus hold the line more tightly.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that as the line is held against upward movement by the loops I! it cannot become accidentally loosened so as to fall from beneath the tongue I5. It will also be seen that the fastener may be used for holding the line at a point near one end or at an intermediate point.

While the invention has been described herein as being formed from a blank of sheet metal, it will be understood that it may be constructed in any other suitable manner. For example, it may be molded from plastic material, and when so constructed it will be formed as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. In this modified form of the invention, spaced loops I9 extend upwardly from the base 20in a manner similar to the loops I1, and spaced attaching ears 2| extend downwardly from the base in alignment with the loops I9 and are perforated to receive screws 22 for attaching the device to the post 24. Formed integral with the base 20 and depending therefrom to overlap the space between the ears 2| is a tongue 23. The tongue 23 and loops I9 serve the same purpose as the corresponding tongue I5 and loops I! in the form of the invention just described.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described including a base portion adapted to be attached to a support, spaced U-shaped loops formed integral with and extending forwardly and upwardly from the base portion, spaced perforated ears extending downwardly from the base portion in alignment with said loops, and a tongue depending from the base portion in overlapping relation to the space between the ears.

2. The combination with a support of a clothesline fastener including a base portion adapted to be secured to said support, spaced U-shaped loops formed integral with and extending forwardly and upwardly from the base portion, said loops having free ends directed towards and spaced from said support, perforated ears extending downwardly from the base portion in alignment with said loops, and a, tongue depending from the base portion in overlapping relation to the space between the ears.

EMIL L. JOHANNSEN. 

